The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Advanced Science Research Center of the City University of New York Launch Inter-Institutional Glial Biology Initiative

Multidisciplinary initiative is the first of its kind in New York City

NEW YORK, June 23, 2017 – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) today announced the creation of an Inter-Institutional Glial Biology Initiative, a collaboration designed to catalyze and strengthen scientific interaction and create a multidisciplinary research and clinical program focused on glial biology between the two institutions.

The complexity of brain function relies on networks of many billions of cells communicating via transmission of electrochemical signals, metabolite exchanges, and communication with blood vessels. The function of glial cells, which outnumber neurons, is only beginning to be addressed. Traditionally viewed as “support cells,” glial cells have begun to take the stage as intriguing sensors of the environment and as major players in disease mechanisms.

The Inter-Institutional Glial Biology Initiative, the first of its kind in New York City, will focus on the study of glial cell development and function. Investigators from both institutions will collaborate to foster the growth of robust research programs while sharing ideas, resources, and core facilities at both institutions.

“This partnership—scientific discovery led by world-class researchers leveraging outstanding facilities—is an exciting development for neuroscience research,” said Joy Connolly, Provost and Senior Vice President at the Graduate Center. “The collaborations this agreement makes possible will advance the important work currently being undertaken independently by the teams at CUNY and Mount Sinai. Efforts such as these help us fulfill our commitment to do great science for the public good.”

The partnership brings together two institutions that are leading the way in modern scientific research.

“We are delighted to launch this joint initiative to capture the many synergies between our two institutions focused on the essential role played by glial cells in health and disease,” said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs at ISMMS. “We believe that a greater understanding of the brain and insight into fundamentally new approaches to treatment will result from this novel affiliation.”

ISMMS is an international leader in medical and scientific training, biomedical research, and patient care. It is the medical school for the Mount Sinai Health System, an integrated health care system which includes seven hospitals and an expanding ambulatory network serving approximately 3.7 million patients per year. The School has more than 1,800 students in MD, PhD, and Master’s programs and post-doctoral fellowships; more than 5,600 faculty members; over 2,000 residents and fellows; and 36 clinical and research institutes. The Graduate Center’s ASRC is the scientific research hub of the CUNY system, providing cutting-edge research tools necessary to push the limits of scientific exploration. CUNY, the largest urban university system in the United States, serves more than 270,000 students, including the 4,100 graduate students enrolled in 30-plus doctoral degree programs at the Graduate Center.

The new initiative will be led by Patrizia Casaccia, MD, PhD, Director of the ASRC Neuroscience Initiative at the Graduate Center, CUNY and an internationally-recognized scientist focused on myelin and oligodendrocyte biology and Anne Schaefer, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an outstanding scientist in microglia biology

“Thanks to the cutting-edge instrumentation that is being installed at the ASRC, including our MRI, Epigenetics and Live Imaging Facilities, and the considerable resources and expertise available at Mount Sinai, investigators at both institutions will only be limited by their imaginations,” said Dr. Casaccia.

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About the Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York:
The Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) is the Graduate Center’s University-wide venture that elevates CUNY’s legacy of scientific research and education through initiatives in five distinctive, but increasingly interconnected disciplines: Nanoscience, Photonics, Structural Biology, Neuroscience and Environmental Sciences. The ASRC is designed to promote a unique, interdisciplinary research culture with researchers from each of the initiatives working side by side in the ASRC’s core facilities, sharing equipment that is among the most advanced available.

About the Icahn School of Medicine:
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is an international leader in medical and scientific training, biomedical research, and patient care. It is the medical school for the Mount Sinai Health System, an integrated health care system which includes seven hospitals and an expanding ambulatory network serving approximately 4 million patients per year. The School has more than 1,800 students in MD, PhD, and Master’s programs and post-doctoral fellowships; more than 5,600 faculty members; over 2,000 residents and fellows; and 23 clinical and research institutes and 34 academic departments. It is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per principal investigator. The School was the first medical school in the country to create a progressive admissions approach for students who seek early assurance of admission through the FlexMed program. The Graduate School of Biomedical Science trains PhD and MD/PhD students, and offers master’s-level programs in areas such as genetic counseling, clinical research, biomedical sciences, and public health, and an online master’s degree in health care delivery leadership. The seamless connections between our medical school, graduate school, and hospital campuses provide an extraordinary environment for translating scientific discoveries into clinical treatments.

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